Infill walls of reinforced concrete frame buildings: What is their contribution to seismic performance?

Existing reinforced concrete buildings for residential, educational, or office purposes are predominantly constructed with a framed structure. The infill walls are often made of semi-solid or hollow bricks, which are typically not considered in the structural calculation. In the event of seismic excitation, these buildings exhibit a response that is significantly influenced by the presence, type, and distribution of the infill walls. In the following, we present how the contribution of infill walls to the seismic performance of reinforced concrete framed buildings can be evaluated.